Overview

Carpathians in center - the Big Five - subregions we have identified. Neighbors: Alps to the West, Dinarides (SW – across Great Hungarian Plain), Balkan Mountains (S), Sudetes (NW).

Rhododendron kotschyi
- token flower of E&S Carpathians

The Carpathian Mountains constitute one of Europe's main mountain systems, whose characteristic arc spans some 1,500 km across, separating the Carpathian Basin from the vast lowlands of Eastern Europe. At both ends, it is cut off from the neighboring mountains – the Alps in the west, and the Stara Planina/Balkan Mountains in the south – by the DanubeRiver, although in geologic terms the Carpathians extend a bit beyond the Danube (for further discussion please see the SW chapter). The Carpathians run across the political borders between half a dozen countries: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and Romania.

Bearing in mind the sheer size of the Carpathian mountains, we are not going to provide much information about their particular ranges. Our objective is to give an overview - detailed information is expected of the child pages. The relevant SP pages (varying widely in quality) have been attached, the most important ranges that do not have an SP page yet have been highlighted in bold print in the tables. With this page, we would like to encourage fellow SP'ers to continue working on the old as well as submitting new SP pages about any of the countless interesting places to be found in our beloved Carpathian Mountains.

Geological map of Carpathians and Carpathian Basin - 1922

Geology and Physiography

The Carpathians presented here have been split into five groups: the Northwestern, Northeastern, Eastern (Northeastern and Eastern Carpathians are usually classified as one region named the East Carpathians), Southern and Southwestern Carpathians. This breakdown is generally based on the works of Hungarian geologists and geographers, and differs markedly from the physiographic divisions of the Carpathians usually drawn, for example, in Poland.

The Carpathians are typically composed of three lithologic belts: the outer flysch belt (of relatively hard sandstone and soft shale), which can be broad but is rather low except the Chornohora (the apex of the Northeastern Carpathians, which tops out at 2,061 m); the central crystalline (i.e. metamorphic/granitoid) belt, which contains nearly all of the highest ranges (the Tatras in the north and four ranges in the south exceed 2,500 m in elevation); and the inner volcanic belt (rather low, like the flysch belt, except the Călimani Mountains, which rise above 2,100 m). This pattern is best displayed in the Northwestern Carpathians, and also in the Eastern Carpathians. The crystalline chain is very poorly exposed in the relatively low Northeastern Carpathians (only several crystalline massifs of the Marmarosh Mountains break through the sedimentary cover). Also, the make-up of the Southern Carpathians, which are almost exclusively composed of crystalline blocks, is different.

Flysch belt binds Carpathians (Beskid Sądecki Mountains)

Within the Carpathians, the eastern sibling of the Alps, there are many blocks whose rocks were (trans-)formed by orogenic cycles older than the Alpine orogeny. Some of those blocks, e.g. the Rodnei Mountains constitute well-preserved pre-Mesozoic orogens, i.e. mountains last folded during the Hercynian (Variscan) or older cycles. Generally, what is now metamorphic rocks used to be pre-Mesozoic sediments (e.g. flysch or limestone) which were altered - mostly through contact with magma – in the late Paleozoic. The metamorphic rocks (usually gneiss and schists) along with the granitoid rocks (magma that has set) form the so-called crystalline cores of numerous ranges on the inner side of the flysch belt. These crystalline blocks are – to varying extent – covered by Mesozoic limestone, especially on the flanks, since prolonged erosion has usually removed the limestone from the central part of the range.

Ancient orogen of Rodnei Mountains

However, regardless of how old the rocks are, the geomorphology of the Carpathians was virtually determined by the Alpine (Tertiary) mountain-building cycle, which:
1) folded vast areas of limestone and flysch deposited in the post-Paleozoic seas that covered most of what is now the Carpathians
2) uplifted a number of old, crystalline blocks along fault lines (cracks in the Earth's crust)
3) towards the end of the Tertiary, was completed with eruptions of lava inside the Carpathian arc

In contrast to the Alps, limestone nappes (i.e. huge folds) are neither well developed nor well preserved. In the Carpathians, it is flysch which plays their part. Limestone(or more precisely calcareous rocks - limestone and dolomite - white triangles on our maps) occurs mainly on the sides of the crystalline massifs. Limestone 'splinters' can also be found immersed in the flysch. But like elsewhere the outcrops of calcareous rocks, especially mid-Mesozoic (Jurassic), often boast precipitous bluffs and crags, narrow gorges and caves.

At present, there aren't any glaciers left in the Carpathians, although the highest ranges did undergo intensive glacial activity in the Ice Age. As a result, their relief is bold and they are dotted with cirques and blue tarns, which makes for spectacular scenery. (A virtual NW to E to S to SW Carpathian traverse above the tree line is possible on SP by clicking here.)

Three limestone crowns

Granite and tarns

Remnants of volcanoes

In the following chapters, we will aim to list all particular ranges of each unit of the Carpathian Big Five in a separate table, split into columns according to the dominant rock type. Below each table, you will find a list of the most attractive limestone areas.

Babel of Toponyms

Romanian shepherds in Făgăraş Mountains

The Carpathians have always been inhabited by a handful of peoples. In recent centuries, among those nations are the Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Hungarians and Germans ('Saxons'). Hence, most of the Carpathian ranges and sub-ranges have names in several languages. Since including all the names in each of the languages would make the tables too crowded, we have decided to normally stick to the name in the language of the country whose territory a particular area is part of nowadays (most of the Carpathians lies in Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania today), with some exceptions, e.g. when an English name is commonly used or when the translation brings out the meaning, and occasionally when local ethnic proportions justify it.

However, we believe that it would be appropriate to list all the different names on the area and mountain pages. A dictionary of toponyms has been initiated for this purpose.Also, a little Carpathian Picture Dictionary, which lists about 150 words in eight languages, is available on SP.

Wildlife and Wilderness

Brown bear sanctuary

Per 100 sq km of Woodland

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia (top non-Carpathian)

Bear

Lynx

Wolf

over 8

3

over 5

over 6

2

over 3

5

under 0.2

under 0.5

The Carpathians cannot compete with the Alps in elevation, but they are one of the few remaining areas in Europe that are so rich in wildlife. Carpathian wilderness, like almost elsewhere in Europe, is hardly land intact by humans – in fact, it is mostly found in the areas that has been rewilded over the last century or several decades. For example, the brown bear population in the Tatras - the highest Carpathian mountain range, in which the custom of hiking and mountaineering dates back to the 16th century and which is packed with visitors in summertime - has grown over twenty times since the end of World War II. Please take a look here.

In the remote corners of the Southern or Northeastern Carpathians, you can easily find solitude and walk all day without meeting anybody, but this is also possible in the more touristy Northwestern Carpathians provided that you keep away from honeypots. Fortunately, a number of the most attractive places within the Carpathians have not become honeypots yet. Let us hope they will remain wild forever.

The Carpathians are home to various endangered and endemic species of plants and animals, including Europe's second largest (after Russia) brown bear population, especially strong in the southeast. According to officials, there are five to six thousand brown bears in Romania although many ecologists claim that half of the bears have been shot down over the past two decades. If you are seeking an adventure package which encompasses crossing the bear country, the Carpathians by all means have it on offer. Check out the following link, full of information on the Carpathian bear, including detailed safety advice. Information on a range of animal species that inhabit the Carpathians can be studied on this SP page.

Carpathian chamois

High Tatra marmot

Pink: Dianthus callizonus

Fire salamander

Black stork

Rosalia longicorn

Northwestern Carpathians

The Northwestern Carpathians are the widest and most complex part of the Carpathian mountain chain, stretching from the Danube River at Devín, east of Vienna (from the geologist’s perspective, the Carpathians extend a little beyond the Danube there, as the Hundsheimer/Hainburger Mountains at 480m, but we have decided to ignore such low hills on this page), to the valley of the Topľa River in the east of Slovakia. All three Carpathian lithologic belts – flysch, crystalline, and volcanic – are extensively developed here. It is also here that the the High Tatras (Gerlachovský štít, 2655 m) rise – the highest and most alpine in character mountain range in all of the Carpathians, which straddles the border between Slovakia and Poland.

Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras) from Nízké Tatry (Low Tatras) - fall

Apart from the Tatras (which can be subdivided into the Western, High and Belianske Tatras), known in both Poland and Slovakia as Tatry, only the Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) – a discrete mountain range that runs parallel to the Tatras between the valleys of the Váh and Hron rivers – exceed 2000 m in elevation. Despite there being plenty of crystalline ranges and massifs in the Northwestern Carpathians, the third highest mountain range in this part of the Carpathians stands inside the flysch belt, just north of the Tatras, and bears the name of High Beskid (Beskid Wysoki, more often called Beskid Żywiecki in Poland, after the town of Żywiec). Its highest massif tops out at 1725 m. The other three ranges that rise above timberline are the Little Fatra (Malá Fatra), the Great Fatra (Veľká Fatra) and the calcareous Chočské vrchy, all situated west of the Tatras or the Low Tatras. Like most of the other crystalline ranges in the Northwestern Carpathians, both the Fatras have vast areas formed of limestone and dolomite, within which some bold mountains stand. The most interesting of them is spectacular Veľký Rozsutec sitting at the north end of the Little Fatra.

Börzsöny - spring

In the southern chunk of the Northwestern Carpathians there are about a dozen hilly areas where volcanic rocks dominate. The highest of them, heavily wooded Pol'ana, reaches 1458 m and represents the remnants of a large stratovolcano. The volcanic belt of Northern Hungary crosses the Danube north of Budapest to extend further west, towards Lake Balaton, as the Transdanubian Hills, which are not regarded as part of the Carpathians except the Visegrád Mountains.

The table below lists the ranges of the Northwestern Carpathians from west to east, sorted by the dominant rock type, in the following format: mountain range - highest peak - elevation (in meters). Information about the limestone areas is to be found below the map and the following table.

Triangles indicate the highest peaks of particular ranges (hover the mouse over them to see the names of the ranges and peaks). Black pentagons indicate major towns with airports (click to open links).

The Western Tatras (mostly metamorphic rocks and limestone) and the High Tatras (granite) are in fact one range.The SE ranges except Branisko are often grouped together as Slovenské rudohorie or Spišsko-gemerské rudohorie (Slovak / Spiš-Gemer Ore Mountains)

Slanské and Zemplén Mountains actually make up a single range, cut in half by the political border between Slovakia and Hungary - hence the two names. The whole range is also sometimes referred to as the Eperjes-Tokaj Mountains, after the two towns at opposite ends of the range (the Slovak name of Eperjes is Prešov). However, the traditional name of the range was Sátor (Tent) Mountains, after the shape of its mountains.

Western Tatras

High Tatras

Belianske Tatry

High Beskid

Great Fatra

Visegrád Mountains

The most distinct limestone blocks in the north:

Belianske Tatry (Havran, 2152 m) - the distinct limestone/dolomite ridge adjoining the High Tatras, along with which it's often classified as the Eastern Tatras

Pieniny (Wysoka, 1052 m) - the most outstanding group of the limestone rocks scattered along the inner rim of the flysch belt (nice crags also stick out of flysch within the Orava-Podhale basin and in the White Carpathians), right opposite the outer edge of the crystalline belt. The Pieniny are cut in half by the winding Dunajec River, which has created a scenic gorge through which one can travel on a locally made raft, on a bike or on foot.

Súľovské skaly (Veľký Manín, 891 m) - plenty of rock towers made of limestone conglomerate, at the northern end of the Strážovské vrchy

Súľovské skaly

Veľký Choč

Pieniny

Little Carpathians

Slovak Karst

White Carpathians

Limestone plateaus and canyon lands on the peripheries of the Slovenské rudohorie:

Slovak Paradise

Spišsko-gemerský kras - consists of two distinct parts: Muránska planina (Kľak, 1409 m) and Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj) (Ondrejisko, 1270 m). Slovak Paradise is famous for its trails which lead one up narrow canyons and waterfalls with the assistance of metal or wooden ladders, bridges, steps and chains. (Such trails have also been built in other places in the Northwestern Carpathians, but nowhere is their network so vast.)

Gömör-Torna karst - cut in half by the political border between Slovakia and Hungary: Slovak karst (Matesova skala, 925 m) in the north - please see Zadielská Dolina and Aggtelek karst (Fertős-tető, 604 m) in the south.

Northeastern Carpathians

The lowest group of the Carpathians, located at the NE reaches of the Pannonian basin, forms a stout flysch bridge between the old orogens of the Northwestern Carpathians and those of the Eastern Carpathians. The topography of the Northeastern Carpathians is rather monotonous. The outer belt of flysch is accompanied by an inner belt of Tertiary volcanoes. The elevation of the mountains and passes generally increases toward the southeast to finally culminate in the highest summits of the Chornohora Range (Black Mountains) and the Marmarosh Mountains, but the highest point hardly exceeds 2000 m. Most of the other ranges generally rise within the 1000-1500 m bracket. The borders of this quarter of the Carpathians are drawn somewhat arbitrarily: usually the valley of the Topľa River in the NW and Prislop/Borşa pass in the SE.

In the tables below, the member ranges of the NE Carpathians have been listed from northwest to southeast, sorted by rock type; in the following format: mountain range - highest peak - elevation (in meters). The divisions and names of the subgroups within the sandstone chain are plenty and confusing. A case in point can be the borderline between the Eastern Beskids and the Marmarosh Mts., which has completely different versions: 1) Użocka/Uzhots'kyi pass at the Polish/Ukrainian border, 2) Verets'kyi pass, 3) the source of Bela Tysa (White Tisa) River by the Ukrainian/Romanian border. Here we have used the last one, as it is the most commonly applied today.

Triangles indicate the highest peaks of particular ranges (hover the mouse over them to see the names of the ranges and peaks). Black pentagons indicate major towns (click - if available - to open links for airports).

Western Bieszczady - fall

Chornohora - winter

Marmarosh Mts - summer

Sandstone (flysch) belt

Volcanic belt

Low Beskid(Polish: Beskid Niski, Slovak: Nízke Beskydy), in Poland also known as Beskidy Środkowe (Central Beskids), between the Topľa River and Łupkowska/Lupkovský pass

Bušov

1002

Eastern Beskyds (a.k.a. Ukrainian Carpathians) usually split into two subgroups: the Polonyna Ridge and the Wooded Beskyds/Carpathians - details in a separate table below

The above peaks once comprised the main ridge of the Marmarosh Mountains, which has been cut by headward erosion of the tributaries of the Vişeu (Vyshov) river. (This part of the Carpathians - in contrast to the NW Carpathians - is still being lifted relatively quickly.) Therefore most of today's main ridge is a much lower, mostly flysch ridge (its central part is often called the Chyvchyn Mts), and the isolated, non-flysch, highest summits of the Marmarosh stand alone and tall. This interesting geomorphology is enhanced by traces of little glaciers of the Ice Age.

The highest range of the Bukovina Carpathians (Obcina Mestecăniş) is geologically similarly patchworked, although it is less prominent.

Marmarosh Mountains viewed from the Rodnei Mountains - summer

As to the Eastern Beskids / Ukrainian Carpathians, the various divisions, names (Ukrainian/Polish/Rusyn) and elevations found on the maps and in the guidebooks can be perplexing. In the table below, we have aimed to provide an accurate and reasonably comprehensive list. Providing you are able to decipher Cyrillic, you can also enjoy these excellent maps.

Wooded Beskids / Wooded Carpathians (In Polish: Beskidy Lesiste. In Ukraine, the term Beskydy is not normally used for any mountains east of Toruns'kyi/Vyshkovskyi Pass.)

Polonyna Ridge (Polonyns'kyj chrebet)

Western Bieszczady (Polish: Bieszczady Zachodnie) between Lupkovský/Łupkowska and Użocka/Uzhots'kyi passes

The SW part of the Western Bieszczady lies in Slovakia, where it is known as Bukovské vrchy.

The NE foothills of the Bieszczady are named the Sanok-Turka Mountains (Polish: Góry Sanocko-Turczańskie - Magura Łomniańska at 1022 m) or the Upper Dniester Beskyds (Ukrainian: Verkhnio-Dnistrovs'ki Beskydy).

In Ukraine the term Skhidni (Eastern) Beschady is only used for the main ridge of the mountains, more often referred to as Vododilnyi Khrebet (literally 'Water Dividing Ridge'). What lies northeast of the main ridge is called Skolivs'ki Beskydy (Polish: Beskidy Skolskie - Parashka at 1269 m).

Western Bieszczady

Eastern Bieszczady

Gorgany

Toward Polonyna Runa

Polonyna Krasna

Svydovets

Eastern Carpathians

Face to face

The Eastern Carpathians run southwardly from Prislop/Borşa and the valley of the Bistriţa Aurie at least as far as Predeal Pass, beyond which rises the dramatic wall of the Bucegi Mountains towering over the Prahova Valley. If more attention is drawn to the rock type than to the topography, the west frontier of the Eastern Carpathians will have to be pushed farther west and the most logical border line will be Giuvala Pass (Bran-Rucar corridor). If you have read the previous chapters, you will not be surprised that we have opted for the latter division line.

The location of the highest point of the Eastern Carpathians depends on the answer to the question where the southwestern reaches of these mountains are. Having decided on Giuvala Pass, we have to look towards the Bucegi Mountains and point to their highest summit Omu, 2509 m. Had we opted for Predeal Pass and the Prahova Valley, it would be the highest peak of the Rodnei Mountains (Pietrosu Mare, 2303 m). Except for these two ranges, most of the other mountains in this part of the Carpathians reach elevations from 1500 to 2000 m.

In the Eastern Carpathians, all the three lithologic belts characteristic of the Northwestern Carpathians get exposed again. The volcanic range is of great importance and boasts the highest volcanic massifs across the Carpathians. The flysch belt is well developed, as wide as the flysch belt of the Northeastern Carpathians but - especially on the Transylvanian side - differs from the typical Carpathian flysch in that it contains large amounts of calcium. As a result, several ranges of the Eastern Carpathians show off scenic, bizarre, mighty rock formations of calcareous conglomerate (or arenaceous, i.e. sandy, limestone).

The table below lists member ranges of the Eastern Carpathians from north to south, sorted by rock type, in the following format: mountain range - highest peak - elevation (in meters).

Triangles indicate the highest peaks of particular ranges (hover the mouse over them to see the names of the ranges and peaks). Black pentagons indicate major towns with - except Braşov - airports (click to open links).

Rodnei Mountains - summer

Ciucaş Mountains - spring

Bucegi Mountains - spring

Flysch belt

Crystalline belt

Volcanic belt

We have split the great number of mountain ranges within this group into these two (subsequent ranges are listed in a separate table below):

Moldovan-Transylvanian subgroup

Carpathian Bend subgroup

The term Carpathian Bend, (Romanian: Carpaţii Curburii; Hungarian: Kárpátkanyar) is in widespread use for the mountains between Oituz pass and Giuvala pass, where the great Carpathian arc takes a sharp turn (from N-S to E-W).

Ciomat is a relatively small volcanic block situated on the periphery of the flysch Bodoc Mts., but geologically related to the Harghita Mts.Ciomat is the youngest and best preserved volcano of the group, cradling the beautiful Szent-Anna Lake in its main crater. There is still intensive post-volcanic activity in the area. SP photo album about Ciomat

The Ciucaş, Baiului, Grohotiş and Bârsei (mostly limestone, see below) mountains are often grouped together as Munţii Braşovului. Likewise, the Penteleu, Podu Calului and Siriu mountains (along with the small Întorsurii and Ivăneţu mountains, which are neglected here) are often grouped together as Munţii Buzăului.

Southern Carpathians

The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps) extend from the Mountains of Banat in the west to Giuvala Pass, or - according to a diverse vision - Predeal Pass in the east, where the mountain system meets the Eastern Carpathians. If the latter endpoint is assumed, the Bucegi and Leaota mountains, which we have included in the Eastern Carpathians, belong to the Southern Carpathians.

Iezer-Papuşa - winter

The Southern Carpathians differ from the Northwestern, Northeastern and Eastern Carpathians in that both flysch and volcanic belts are completely missing from them. These mountains are the most elevated, southern edge of the ancient Tisa-Dacia platform. They contain about a dozen ranges that exceed 2000 m in elevation, including eight ranges rising above 2200 m - more than the other parts of the Carpathian Mountains altogether. However, many of the high ranges of the Southern Carpathians are rather monotonous. The ridges, usually of metamorphic schists and gneiss, are generally broad and constitute remnants of a Tertiary plain - best preserved and easily recognizable in the Godeanu mountains - lifted high, deeply cut by the rivers and since time immemorial used as pastureland. These natural meadows have been extended by clearing the bushes of the mountain pine above the tree line, which may also have been lowered; especially on the less rocky, warmer, southern slopes.

Căpăţânii Mountains - summer

The bold alpine, or rather Tatra-like relief, is to be found in the Făgăraş and the Retezat mountains, and also in the highest part of the Parâng. Limestone karst is fabulously developed in the southwestern, lower ranges, whereas at the east end of the Southern Carpathians stands the most spectacular limestone ridge in the Carpathian Mountains, the Piatra Craiului (Royal Rock), which offers plenty of climbing opportunities and shelters stunning wildlife.

Retezat Mountains - spring

The table below lists member ranges of the Southern Carpathians from east to west, split into three major mountain groups, in the following format: mountain range - highest peak - elevation (in meters).

Triangles indicate the highest peaks of particular ranges (hover the mouse over them to see the names of the ranges and peaks). Black pentagons indicate major towns with - except Braşov - airports (click to open links).

Southwestern Carpathians

Nera Gorges(Aninei Mountains)

Beusnita Falls
(Aninei Mountains)

What we have identified as the Southwestern Carpathians consists of three separate mountain groups.

1) By the Danube River, in the historic province of Banat, sits the last segment of the Carpathian Arc. The mountains of Banat and the northernmost mountains of Eastern Serbia can be seen as parts of the same mountain group - a link between the Carpathian chain and the Balkan (Stara Planina) Mountains - split by the canyon of the Danube. In fact, there are three options for the SW end of the Carpathians:

a) The gorges of the Danube, for which we have opted here.
b) The Juzna (South) Morava and the Timok rivers in Serbia.
c) The Timiş (Temes) and Mehadica rivers in Romania.

Regardless of whereabouts the Carpathians end, the eastern border of the mountains of Banat runs straight north from the Iron Gate proper, along the tectonic fault line which determines the course of the Mehadica and Timiş rivers, between the towns of Orşova and Caranşebeş.

2) To the north-east of these mountains, north-west of the Retezat Mountains, lies the massif of Poiana Ruscă - for centuries heavily grazed, and more recently heavily mined for iron. Both the mountains of Banat and the Poiana Ruscă contain fairly low mountains (below 1500 m a.s.l.) and are often regarded as parts of the Southern Carpathians.

3) Finally, north of the Poiana Ruscă, across the valley of the Mureş (Maros) River, stands the largest and highest (above 1800 m) Carpathian "island" (some geological classifications exclude it from the Carpathians, however), bounded by the Pannonian Plain in the west and separated from the Carpathian Arc by the upland of Transylvania in the east. Romanian people call it Munţii Apuseni, which translates as the Western Mountains (before World War I, they were called the Island Mountains of Eastern Hungary, nowadays Hungarians refer to them as the Island Mountains of Transylvania).

The highest range of the Apuseni Mountains

The Southwestern Carpathians are the lowest and least forested of the five major parts of the Carpathians we have depicted on this page, each in a different chapter. What makes these mountains fascinating is the fact that they embrace vast limestone areas, including the most spectacular karst paradise of all in the Carpathians: the Padiş Plateau in the Bihor Mountains. Some evidence suggests that the ancient core of the Apuseni differs from that of the Carpathian Basin and could have once been part of the Dinarides. On the flanks of the Apuseni, besides limestone plateaus, post-Paleozoic lava (most of the Vlădeasa Mountains) and flysch are also present.

In the tables below, the member ranges of each group are listed from north to south, in the following format: mountain range - highest peak - elevation (in meters). Ranges marked with an asterisk (*) in the tables display spectacular limestone karst.

Triangles indicate the highest peaks of particular ranges (hover the mouse over them to see the names of the ranges and peaks). Black pentagons indicate major towns with - except Braşov - airports (click to open links).

The region's rail network is extensive, several remote areas can be approached easily by train (quality of service varies, but it's generally acceptable). Discounts are usually available for students and for trans-boundary journeys. There are huge differences in price - usually long-distance international tickets cost much more than domestic ones (don't ask the reasons). Consequently, many people choose the option of approaching the border on the domestic train, crossing the line somehow (possibly on another, local - not a long-distance - train), and continuing on the other side on another domestic train. This method requires more time and comes with extra hassle, but can save one a substantial amount of money. It is not to one's disadvantage if one knows a little of the language of the countries being crossed as there's much chance of having to talk to ticket officers who don't speak any international language (I have met some who do though). An up-to-date European timetable is available online from DB.

Car is the most convenient way of traveling around (and if you get enough people in the car, it's also the cheapest). In the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary the motorways are toll roads (you have to purchase a vignette for a given period), the rest are free. In Romania a vignette (called Rovinieta) has to be bought for each vehicle driven along any road. The vignette is valid everywhere, for a fixed period (1, 7, 30 days and 1-year). It costs 13 RON for a passenger car (August, 2009). A road atlas may come handy - see the Maps (Regional maps) section below for available options.

Visa and border-crossing. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania are members of the European Union. Since 21st December 2007, these countries except Romania, have belonged in the so-called "Schengen zone". Crossing borders inside the Schengen zone is no problem for anyone, anytime and anywhere (there are no border checkpoints anymore). This means that one will be able to hike around freely, from one Schengen country to another without any "official treatment". Crossing the Schengen border itself works as usual (at official border crossings), but with a more rigorous control. EU and US citizens entering Ukraine don't need a visa provided they stay less than 90 days. If you're not a EU or US citizen, you'd better check the current requirements at your embassy.

Publications

This section lists the most important publications about broader areas of the Carpathians. Publications about the Tatra mountains are discussed in more detail on the High Tatra/Vysoké Tatry SP page. If you have suggestions about adding further items, please contact us by PM. Thanks jck for your input!.

Books

James Roberts: The Mountains of Romania (2005, Cicerone Press) - guidebook that I've found on the Internet (haven't read it but seems to be a good one), available from Cicerone, Amazon (you can have a look at the first few pages) and probably elsewhere as well

Colin Saunders and Renáta Nározná: The High Tatras (1994, 2006, Cicerone Press) - guidebook that I've found on the Internet (haven't read it but seems to be a good one), available from Cicerone, Amazon and probably elsewhere as well

Tom Chrystal and Beáta Dósa: Walking in Hungary (2003, Cicerone Press) - guidebook that I've found on the Internet (haven't read it but seems to be a good one), available from Cicerone, Amazon and probably elsewhere as well

Ivan Vološčuk (ed.): The National Parks and Biosphere Reserves in Carpathians: The Last Nature Paradise (1999, ACANAP, Tatranská Lomnica) - monography, reviewed on CER, available from nhbs

Józef Nyka: a couple of guidebooks about the Tatras, and their vicinity (i.e.: Tatry Polskie, Tatry Słowackie, Pieniny - see here)

Balázs Nagy: Gerinctúrák a Kárpátokban /Ridge Routes of the Carpathians/ (2002, Sziget, Debrecen) - Description of many long-distance hikes throughout the Carpathians, with useful tips and advice (out of print, hard to come by)

2500 km a Kárpátok főgerincén - Kárpát Koszorú Nemzetközi Túramozgalom /2500 km on the ridge of the Carpathians/ - photo album with pictures of an ambitious hiking endeavour all along the Carpathian Arc

Ákos Neidenbach: A Kárpát-medence hegymászó és turista irodalma (1994, Budapest) - bibliography of Hungarian language literature about the Carpathian Basin (printed in small quantity - not available in shops)

External Links

The following list is by no means all-inclusive. If you have suggestions about adding further interesting items, please contact us by PM. We'd like to thank SP members Tomas Kristofory, jck, kola and visentin for their input to this section.

homepage of Polish Tourist Country Lovers' Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Turystyczno Krajoznawcze, PTTK), owner of several mountain huts /note: PTTK was established in 1950 as a union of two associations: PTT (Polskie Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie, founded in 1873 in Kraków originally as Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie, reactivated in 1988 as a separate organization) and PTK (Polskie Towarzystwo Krajoznawcze, founded in 1906 in Warsaw)/

Further Resources

There is a comprehensive book "Geography of the Carpathian Basin" by Béla Bulla and Tibor Mendöl (originally published in 1947, republished in 1999), which discusses the complex structure of the Carpathians in very good detail (topology, geology, economy, sociology, etc.) - unfortunately only a Hungarian edition is known to me.

There is also a comprehensive volume entitled Geology of the Carpathian Region by G. Z. Földvary (Sydney, 1988), whose vast sections can be read online.

A concise, richly illustrated page on the natural history and tectonics of the Carpathians - including the infamous earthquake epicenter of Vrancea - has been created by the University of Arizona.

You can find a lot of additional information on Wikipedia websites (however, be prepared to get confused...):

Yes, however they are often disregarded as such. There is also discussion about where do they "end" in the south. I did not want to go that deep into this kind of geological discussion as it is not the main focus of the site, but thanks for the addition.

However, Banat is strictly north of the Danube, and is actually not the name of the mountains but a much broader area, including parts of the Pannonian Great Plain. The mountains of Banat are in the part which belongs to Romania now:

North: Yes, I am aware of the area (also called as Hainburger Berge, but not "Austrian Carpathians"). The question is that whether we shall talk about it in more detail or not. As you mentioned, it's an unsignificant block. The only noteworthy thing about it is that it's located on the other side of the Danube - otherwise it would be just the southern end of the Little Carpathians. Perhaps just mentioning the name in those brackets Jacek cited would do.

South: As for Djerdap NP in the strict sense, it should be rather noted as such on a page dealing with NP-s of SE Europe. As for the whole group of those mountains south from the Iron Gate, I'd welcome further information. Right now the best I could find is Wiki, which is generally considered as a weak source needing reassurement.

The Austrian Carpathians, despite being an upland rather than real mountains, also boast fine scenery, plus interesting views of the Alps.:)

Let's not forget the Visegrad Mts in Hungary.:))

The mts of Banat and those of the N chunk of Eastern Serbia's can be seen as two halves of the same mtn group. In geologic terms, they form one block cut by the gorge of the Danube. As far as I can remember, once you, Eric, compared it to the Pieniny split by the Dunajec River, and you were right. In fact, there are three river options for the SW end of the Carpathians:

They're there and they're not there :) - The current link points to Velky Choc, because when I first compiled the links, the area did not have a page, only the mountain. Since then you've added the area, and I forgot to take note of that. Will be corrected soon!

Thanks for your question Eric. Although the term "crystalline" doesn't normally refer to limestone, most of the Carpathian limestone does occur within/around the crystalline (granite/gneiss) blocks (more info in the "Geology and Physiography" chapter), including some of your/our favourite areas, such as the Tatry Bielskie, or Vratna-Rozsutec in the Mala Fatra. We have listed the most interesting limestone areas, including your Chocske Vrchy, below the flysch-crystalline-volcanic tables. (On the maps, they're represented by white triangles.)